All the right moves

Despite working for over two decades as a choreographer,he has never bored of his work. He still feels the same way about dance as he did all those years ago,when he was just starting out. He says,“Dancing and choreography are not my work. Dancing is my passion – my life.” He adds,“For the past 25 years,I have been looking out for and nurturing talent because I strongly believe that the dancing potential in India is humongous.”

Shiamak’s dance academy today has branches all over India. What has helped the academy thrive? “We pay a lot of attention to the format of our training. We make sure that even though the focus is on teaching the children correct techniques,the fun quotient of the class is never compromised,” he answers. On Thursday,students of his academy performed at Shiamak’s Monsoon Masti Presentation at the Symbiosis Auditorium,Viman Nagar. They danced to songs including I Hate Luv Storys,Uff Teri Adaa,Tere Liye,and You are Beautiful. Members of the Shiamak Davar Dance Company too put up performances choreographed by Shiamak. Shiamak cheered them on and boosted their morale. He smiles,“I personally strive to ensure that our students are taught something new every time. I chalk out every class syllabus after a lot of thought and perhaps that’s what makes our students keep coming back for more.”

How does Shiamak feel when he sees the success of his students,like Shahid Kapoor? “Obviously I feel proud,like any teacher would when s/he sees his/her student excel,” he says,adding,“However I feel that the world is yet to see the dancer in Shahid that I know. He is fantastic right now but his capabilities as a dancer are much more.”

Despite being a teacher of western dance,he feels very strongly of the Indian classical styles. “Sometimes,due to the foray of many western dance styles,Indian dance forms do take a back seat. However the prominence of Indian forms of dances can’t be undermined. They are the backbone of our culture.”